On the go and no time to finish that story right now? Your News is the place for you to save content to read later from any device. Register with us and content you save will appear here so you can access them to read later.

In light of the recent earthquake down south Mr Bennett hoped the meals, which included rice grains, soya flakes, dehydrated vegetables and micro-nutrients, would also be passed on to some of those worst-hit areas.

"We provided tea and coffee last week but things like this would be really helpful so we want some available if we can manage to get them in to places like Kaikoura, Seddon and Ward."

The Salvation Army also hoped to deliver the meals to people in Fiji but Mr Bennett said they had to work out the logistics of getting it there and making sure there were the right conditions for storage.

Heinz Watties and the Salvation Army have been in a partnership for more than 20 years and yesterday Heinz Watties chief executive Mike Pretty said it was the company's longest partnership with anybody.

Mr Bennett said this was the first time the company had done something like this for the Salvation Army and it proved to be a huge success.

"We have done things like the Watties Cans Film Festival but nothing like this before, it was a really great initiative."